2026 Spring Panel

Angela Tovar is Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Chicago. With experience in community development and climate & environmental justice, Angela is an advocate with a demonstrated history of making an impact in the nonprofit and public sector. Angela has worked as a community planner, program manager and climate and environmental justice advocate for over 15 years. A Chicago native, with a background in urban planning and community organizing, Angela takes a community-led, justice-first approach to her role. Since her appointment in 2020, she has established the City’s first Office of Climate and Environmental Equity and led the development of the Cumulative Impact Assessment, which identifies Chicago environmental justice neighborhoods and essential action items.

Angela began her career in the public sector as a Program Manager for Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability where she focused her efforts primarily on clean energy programming. Prior to that, Angela worked in the South Bronx for over a decade, first as the Director of Policy for Sustainable South Bronx and later as the Director of Community Development for the POINT CDC. In these roles, Angela oversaw community partnerships, advocacy and environmental justice efforts, and climate mitigation, including the development and implementation of a community-based climate resiliency plan known as The South Bronx Community Resiliency Agenda.  She holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from the College of Charleston and a Masters in Urban Planning from City University of New York - Hunter College.